▪ I. concentrate, v.
(ˈkɒnsəntreɪt, kənˈsɛntreɪt)
[f. L. type *concentrāt- ppl. stem of *concentrāre: see concentre. The first-mentioned pronunciation, now prevalent, is recent: cf. compensate v.]
1. trans. To bring to or towards a common centre; to collect or gather as at a centre; to cause to converge or meet at one point or place. In Mil. use: To bring troops or forces close together.
| 1646 H. Lawrence Comm. Angells 125 Love will concentrate all in God, make all lines meet in him. 1813 Wellington in Gurw. Disp. X. 595 We attacked the enemy on the 30th, the right and centre having been tolerably concentrated. 1831 Brewster Optics x. 91 The different rays concentrated by the lens. 1836 Macgillivray tr. Humboldt's Trav. xxiv. 367 The population is Concentrated on this table-land. 1878 R. B. Smith Carthage 80 Here Hannibal..concentrated the forces which had been gathered from such distant countries. |
2. fig. and of non-physical objects. Freq. const. on.
| 1752 Johnson Rambler No. 199 ¶14 Magnets armed with a particular Metallick composition, which concentrates their virtue. 1794 Sullivan View Nat. V. 395 The lineaments thus become collected, or rather concentrated in our imaginations, and acquire force from concentration. 1860 Kingsley Misc. I. 22, I must concentrate my powers on one subject. 1879 Calderwood Mind & Br. ii. 10 To concentrate attention on the nerve system. 1906 Galsworthy Man of Property iv. 66 The attraction for him of this great church was inexplicable, unless it enabled him to concentrate his thoughts on the business of the day. 1937 J. Marquand Thank you, Mr. Moto xx. 161 Except for an occasional glimpse about me, my sight was concentrated on the back of Wu Lo Feng's neck. 1958 J. K. Galbraith Affluent Society xxv. 274 Our failure to match this achievement was the result of the failure to concentrate the requisite resources on the desired ends. 1977 C. Blackwood Gt. Granny Webster (1978) i. 21 Her ego was totally concentrated on her own pugnacious struggle for survival. 1980 J. Coetzee Waiting for Barbarians ii. 47 With an effort I concentrate my mind on her. |
3. Chem. To increase the strength of (a solution or liquid) by contraction of its volume (e.g. by evaporation).
| 1689 Packe tr. Glauber's Wks. i. 431 The concentrated Spirits of Salt may bring most great advantage by concentrating the poor sort of Wine. 1731 Arbuthnot Aliments (J.), Spirit of vinegar, concentrated and reduced to its greatest strength, will coagulate the serum. 1838 T. Thomson Chem. Org. Bodies 170 This salt is easily obtained, by..concentrating the solution. 1845 Darwin Voy. Nat. xii. (1879) 256 The sap is concentrated by boiling, and is then called treacle. |
† b. To purify gold or silver by chemical agency, e.g. by the operation of chlorine. Obs.
| 1689 Packe tr. Glauber's Wks. I. 330 By what means even Gold and Silver may be concentrated. |
c. Mining. To separate metal or ore from the gangue or associated rock. Cf. concentrator.
| 1872 [see concentrating vbl. n.]. 1873 J. S. Phillips Metallurgist's Comp. (ed. 2) 472 The base minerals and the precious metals may be concentrated in numerous ways. |
4. To bring the parts of (anything) into closer union; to condense or reduce in compass or volume; often connoting the resultant effect of increased intensity or power.
| 1758 Johnson Idler No. 11 ¶9 Accounts..of one mind expanded in the summer, and of another concentrated in the winter. 1802 Playfair Illustr. Hutton. Th. 303 It has been expelled from some parts of a mass, only to be condensed and concentrated in others. 1853 C. Brontë Villette xxx. (1876) 344 The obstinacy of my whole sex, it seems, was concentrated in me. |
5. intr. and absol. (usu. for refl.). Also const. on: to focus attention, thought, etc., on (something).
| 1640 G. Watts tr. Bacon's Adv. Learn. Pref. 16 That the Images and beams of things (as in sense) may meet and concentrate. 1835 I. Taylor Spir. Despot. vi. 278 The progress of Church Power..as concentrating around the See of Rome. 1841 Alford in Life (1873) 133 Would that..my powers and attention as I advance may concentrate. 1910 E. M. Forster Howards End xviii. 158 She could not concentrate on details. Parliament, the Thames, the irresponsive chauffeur, would flash into the field of house-hunting, and all demand some comment or response. 1925 F. Scott Fitzgerald Great Gatsby vi. 124 ‘Well, you come,’ she urged, concentrating on Gatsby. 1935 I. Compton-Burnett A House & its Head iv. 53 He proceeded to his pew, protected from Grant's reply, and put the matter aside to concentrate on other things. 1967 J. Wain Smaller Sky 54 All you did was to concentrate entirely on the person you were interviewing, banishing all other thoughts. 1981 A. Gray Lanark i. xix. 192 The teachers had stopped attending to pupils who would certainly pass or certainly fail and were concentrating on the borderline cases. |
b. Mil. of troops: To collect in one quarter.
| 1813 Sir R. Wilson Diary, Life II. 258 The news of this..obliged him to concentrate on the Elbe. 1841 Elphinstone Hist. India II. 277 Compelling the king's troops to concentrate and wait for assistance from Behár. |
▪ II. concentrate, a. and n.
(kənˈsɛntrət)
[ad. L. *concentrāt-us pa. pple.: see prec.]
A. pa. pple. and adj. = concentrated.
| 1642 R. Harris Serm. 25 May 21 Here all his Perfections..are Concentrate. |
| 1800 Phil. Trans. XC. 217 Upon the affusion of a little concentrate sulphuric acid. 1802 Chenevix ibid. XCII. 133 When the alkaline solution is very concentrate. 1834 Ld. Houghton Mem. Many Scenes, Spartans at Thermop. (1844) 50 One last unshackled blow, Strong with concentrate vengeance. 1839–48 Bailey Festus xxiii. 289 With all concentrate and superfluent woe. |
B. n. a. The product of concentration (in Mining).
| 1883 Daily News 6 Sept. 2/5 Blanket concentrates, 14 tons assay 1 oz. 19 dwts. 15 grs. per ton [of gold]..Arrangements for treating the concentrates were complete. |
b. A stock food containing concentrated nutriment.
| 1907 T. Shaw Feeding Farm Animals iii. 54 The relative cost of bulky foods and concentrates respectively should be duly considered when feeding animals. 1915 J. Porter Stockfeeder's Compan. xii. 43 The concentrates may be subdivided into groups according to their richness in one or more of the three most valued nutrients. 1935 Times 4 Nov. 19/1 Several recent investigations have shown that grass, if cut young at the height of a few inches and dried, possesses..properties..approaching indeed, the nutritive value of concentrates. 1958 Economist 8 Nov. 486/1 Well-managed grassland feeds stock more economically than do concentrates. |
c. A concentrated liquid.
| 1939 A. L. Simon Conc. Encycl. Gastron. I. p. v, Escoffier..introduced..fumets and essences, that is, evaporated stock obtained by allowing the water..in which meat, fish or vegetables happen to be cooked, to steam away slowly so as to leave behind a fragrant concentrate. 1944 Good Housek. Baby Bk. (1945) vi. 96 Special orange juice, obtainable at the food office or clinic..is the best vitamin concentrate obtainable. 1966 J. S. Cox Illustr. Dict. Hairdressing 38/2 Concentrate, a preparation that needs dilution before use. 1968 Times 24 Oct. 7/8 To test whether any of this matter was resistant to breakdown, he incubated concentrates of the water samples. |